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Overview

Broga is progressive series. Broga I is the class that is appropriate (hopefully) for any able-bodied person. It is an Intro class, that is truly an Intro class. There are challenging aspects for everyone, but modifications are offered whenever/wherever necessary. No able-bodied person, even if they are very overweight, or extremely inflexible should get discouraged in a Broga I class. It should be the kind of experience that offers opportunity for pushing oneself, provides clear guidance and helpful inspiration, and leads to a sense of pride through accomplishment.

Why these poses in this order?

Just like Broga II, these sequences are designed to:

1) Enable students to link poses to the breath based on established Hatha and Vinyasa principles (i.e. “to place with special care”).

2) Enable comfortable transitions that safely move students from pose-to-pose.

3) Incorporate functional fitness movements that provide substantial core and upper body strength building.

4) Aid whole body balance with poses followed by counter poses, providing flexion and extension of the body and spine.

5) Create an arc – warming the body, building the breath awareness, growing into larger, more challenging movements, increased heart rate, active recovery, core, warm down, relaxation.

6) Provide continuous flow, without it being choppy, so students can stay in the movement and maintain a meditative quality throughout, while safely strengthening and stretching.

7) Bring students to their “edge.”

8) Allow students to gain confidence and success in the practice.

9) Stay in the mid-range of the muscle and out of the ligaments and tendons.

10) Offer postures that are relevant to daily life and keep the body moving in a functional range of motion.

Breakdown

Broga I, for the purposes of training, is one set sequence. As we’ve discussed, you’ll be encouraged to make changes once you and your students are fully comfortable with this sequence and you feel like you fully “get” the Broga approach.

Warm Up (~15min)

Cue: “Start lying flat on your back.”

Intro: “Feel the weight of your body as gravity pulls you into the mat. Take a moment to let go – to really let go completely – of everything in your mind. The weather doesn’t matter, your job doesn’t matter, your family and responsibilities can wait. You made it here. This time is for you. Take advantage of it. Turn your attention inward, to the breath moving in and out.”

Cue: “Everyone take a deep INHALE, hold for a second, and then EXHALE completely. Now start to find a rhythm with the breath, maybe breath in for 3 seconds and then breath out for 4-5 seconds. Find a rhythm that works for you, but focus on the entire inhale and the entire exhale. Your breath will be your guide and your touchstone for the next 75 minutes. Cultivate the quality of each and every breath during the practice. If you find you’ve lost the quality of the breath, you’ve gone too far. If you’re feeling tense at any time, use deep exhales to bring calm to your body and mind.”

Wind Relieving Pose – Ardha Pavana Muktasana RIGHT SIDE

Cue: “On your next exhale, hug knee/thigh into body to open hip. We’ll take 5 breaths here. Let it out a little bit, pull it to the left, pull it to the right. Work it around gently and bring a little attention to the tight spots wherever you feel them.”

Reclined Pigeon – Kapotasana RIGHT SIDE

Cue: “Bend your knees and put your feet flat on the floor. Put your right ankle over your left thigh, hold shin or behind leg and draw towards body. Make sure you keep your right foot flexed to protect your right knee. If very challenging to hold, use a strap around shin.”

(5 breaths)

Wind Relieving Pose – Ardha Pavana Muktasana LEFT SIDE

Cue: “Hug knee/thigh into body. Work it out like we did on the other side. Get in there good, but be gentle.”

(5 breaths)

Reclined Pigeon – Kapotasana LEFT SIDE

Cue: “Bend your knees and put your feet flat on the floor. Put your right ankle over your left thigh, hold shin or behind leg and draw towards body. Make sure you keep your right foot flexed to protect your right knee. If very challenging to hold, use a strap around shin.”

(5 breaths)

Bridge Pose – Setu Bandha Sarvangasana

Cue: “Keep knees bent, with heals and knees hip width. You should be able to touch the back of your heals with your hands. Slightly pigeon-toe your feet. Press through your feet, strength in the legs… while lifting hips draw tailbone upwards. Make sure to keep your knees and feet hip width. @ options for arms… 1) arms out by side body, palms up, shoulders open 2 ) hands interlaced with arms under body, shoulders and shoulder blades drawn under body. The upper chest and spine is where the opening should be, make sure not to bend into the low back to deeply. If it feels uncomfortable, using a block on the lowest level under sacrum is a good option. Whichever option you’ve chosen, breath fully into the front side of your body!

(5 Breaths)

Core Twist

Cue: “Lying on your back with knees bent and shins parallel to the floor, put your arms out in a T on the floor. Inhale, then on the exhale using the strength in your core, lower your legs to the floor on the right side. Inhale and on the exhale, pull your legs back up to center. Repeat on the other side. Move slowly and carefully. We’re warming up the spine and the core muscles a little here. NOTE: be sure to exhale down and exhale up. Also, when lifting legs back to center, as you exhale, using your core, draw your back to the mat first, this will inspire a healthy lift of the legs.

(3-5 on each side)

Hug knees in – Apanasana

Cue: “Roll along spine up to sit.”

Cobbler/Bound angle – Baddha Konasana

Cue: Sit up tall on your sit bones, put the soles of your feet together, place the feet about a foot in front of body. Inhale, lengthen your spine. Exhale, lean forward. Do not force this, let it happen. Use deep releasing exhales to enter the pose.

(5-10 breaths)

Table Top

Cue: “Release and relax your legs. Make your way to all fours/Table Top. Put your shoulders over your wrists and hips over your knees.”

(1 full breath)

Cat/cow

Cue: “Inhale bringing your chin up and forward while lowering your navel toward the floor (cow pose). Exhale tucking your chin in, pulling in your navel and rounding your spine up toward the ceiling.” (Cat pose) Be sure to move into each pose with the full length of your breath.

(5 rounds)

Side Plank – Vasisthasana

Cue: “From table set R knee below hip, stack R shoulder over wrist and lift L arm high.”

(5 breaths)

Child’s Pose – Balasana

Cue: “Place hands and knees on the mat in table top position. Uncurl the toes and put the tops of your feet flat on the mat. On the EXHALE, float your butt back onto your heels while keeping your arms stretched out in front of you. This pose can be intense on your feet, ankles, knees, hips and shoulders, but can also feel pretty amazing. Nice stretch for the spine, especially low back. If it’s uncomfortable, stay within your edge and breath into the intensity. Make any adjustment you need to make to get comfortable, try knees wide or narrow.”

Modifications: “Use a block or blanket to buffer the knees. Also, rest forehead on stacked

wrists or block if head is hovering.”

(5 breaths)

Modifications with blanket, mat, blocks for feet, shoulders, and knees

Downward Facing Dog – Adho Mukha Svanasana

Cue: “From Child’s Pose, go into table top. Curl toes under, place palms firmly on the mat, spread fingers wide, and on the exhale begin to lift knees off the mat while pushing your tailbone back and up and keeping your back straight. Straighten your legs as much as you can, but it is totally acceptable to have your knees bent.”

Modifications: “Use blocks under hands to relieve hamstrings and back.”

(3 breaths)

walk up – take 30 seconds

Forward bend – Uttanasana

Cue: “From Downward Facing Dog, walk your feet up to your hands. Bend knees, hold opposite elbows to release down.”

(5 – 10 breaths)

keep knees bent

Mountain Pose – Tadasana

Cue: “Building from the ground up, firmly ground feet, strong legs, tail bone drawn down, abs engaged, chest open, shoulders relaxed and down.”

(5 breaths)

*feet position – observe angle of the feet and make adjustments as necessary.

Cardio (3-5min)

Hindu Squats

Cue: “Inhale lower into squat, reach arms out in front, sharp exhale to stand while drawing elbows back along body.”

(25-30 repetitions)

*modification options

Intro Flow (~30min)

mountain

forward fold (knees bent)

half forward fold

R ft back low crescent lunge (blocks or not)

R ft up to meet left

L Ft back low crescent lunge

R foot back

plank (Cue: “Step right foot back into plank pose.” 3 breaths)

forearm plank (Cue: “Lower to forearm plank and hold. Relax hands and face and breath.” 30 secs)

sphinx

cobra

child’s pose

downward facing dog

RIGHT

Draw R knee to R elbow. (1 time)

R leg high then R knee to R elbow (1 time)

R foot to right thumb

Warrior 1 – 10 breaths with cues to enhance and correct pose

Warrior 2 – 10 breaths with cues to enhance and correct pose

Reverse Warrior/ Peaceful Warrior

Runners lunge

Twist – 5 breaths (options: right arm to the high, or back of R hand resting at

lower back and/or left knee down)

Plank

10 Yoga/Broga pushups (mod: offer knees option)

Cobra

Down dog

Repeat LEFT side exactly

Forward fold

Half forward fold

Option: repeat previous (both sides) for second round

Tree R

Tree L

Squat pose – 3 breaths (mod: heals up or down)

Option: workshop crow

Roll down to back

Core (~10min)

Three options:

Bicycle Abs

Ankle reaches w/ block

Broga crow crunch

Warm Down (~10min)

bridge

wind relieving pose

reclined twist

reclined bound angle

Final Relaxation – Savasana (5-8 minutes)

Encourage students to let go of all tension, thoughts, and the breath. Feel free to offer a guided relaxation of the muscles of the body from the feet up through the head/scalp/brain. For recommendations on Broga-appropriate savasana music, see the recommended play lists online. Exit savasana by rolling onto the right side in fetal position with hand resting on right arm. Come up slowly. Sit in silence for a moment with hands at chest…

Namaste.

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